Automatic clutch.



No. 7I4,9I6. Patented Doc. 2. |902.

JVW. KELLUGG.

AUTUIATIC CLUTH.

(Appl ation led Ma 17 1902) 2 Sheats-Slwet L (No lodal.)

mvENToR WITNESSES ATTORNEY No. 7|4,9|6. Patonted Dec. 2, |902.

J. W. KELLDGG.

AUTDIIATIG CLUTCH.

(Application led Mar. l?, 1902.) I Y (lo llodsl.) 2 Shouts-Sheet 2.

4L. l l/ Y 1 v f1 I/ 'c 3 u Tg2-zz Tl 13 qmmj umv El u L gli [I @y v INVENTOR UNi'rnD STATES 4Persan OFFICE.

JAMES W. KELLOGG, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWT YORK.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,916, dated. December 2, 1902.

Application led March 17, 1902. Serial No. 98,692. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it 'may concern: g

Be it known that I, JAMES W. KnLLoee, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to driving xo `mechanism for automobile vehicles, and more specifically consists of an improved form of such gearing in which the motor controls the motion of the traction-wheels while slowing down as well as while speeding up or running z 5 at a uniform velocity, so that brakes may be dispensed with.

In the ordinary form of simple gearing from motor to traction-wheels the motor present-s no resistance (other than its friction zo and inertia) to the forward motion of the vehicle unless such motor is reversedthat is to say, if the vehicle strikes a downgrade and tends to increase its speed without the application of more driving power the motor z 5 presents practically no resistance to such increase, or if the motive power is decreased orr shut 0E the momentum of the vehicle continues to carry it forward, and the motor becomes the driven member. If, however, a 3o gearing be employed which will freely transmit power from the motor to the tractionwheels when running in either direction, but which will present automatically a frictional resistance to the vehicle running ahead of the motor, it is evident that the ordinary brakes could be done away with and the movements of the vehicle in stopping as well as in starting could be absolutely regulated by the motor-controller whatever the form of 4o the motor.

My invention consists in `the combination of such a gearing with a wheeled vehicle and motor therefor, whereby the above-described result is obtained, and its preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View, with parts in section, of the traction-wheels of an electric car with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is 5o an axial section through the gear with the motor removed. Fig. 3 is a detail View on a section taken along line 3l 31 of Fig. 2 or when looking in the direction of the arrow L or a section taken along the line 313f of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of arrow R. Fig. i 55 Vis a side elevation and partial section of the driving gearwheel with friction -coupling therein. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Throughout the drawings like referencefigures indicate like parts.

A portion of the frame of the truck or carbody, which is marked l, supports the motor. Journaled in this is the driving-shaft 2, provided with a large coarse screw-thread or heliX 3,which meshes with a corresponding helical recess in the motor-sleeve 4, which is otherwise loosely mounted on the driving-shaft 2.

I have chosen to illustrate an electric motor, though other forms might of course be used, 7o and this motor has the armature 5 mounted directly on the motor-sleeve 4,while the field- `magnets 6 are supported in any convenient manner (not shown) from the motor-frame or car-body. The motor has a commutator 7 75 and commutator-brushes 8 S, the other portions of the motor,wiring, tbc. not being illustrated.

On the left-hand end of the driving-shaft 2, looking at Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, 8o is keyed or shrunk a friction-collar 9. l A similar friction collar 10 is similarly attached to the right-hand end of the drivingshaft. Adjacent to the friction-collar 9 there is loosely mounted upon the driving-shaft any 8 5 convenient form of ratchet-Wheel 11, inclosed in a ratchet-casing 13, which is bolted to the motor-frame and has ratchet-rollers 15 15,carried in properly-formed notches and adapted to cooperate with the ratchet-casing in the 9o well-known way to form a rigid gearing which will permit of rotation of the ratchet-Wheel in one direction,lout preventingit by jamming into the V-shaped spaces shown in Fig. 3 when an attempt is made to rotate the ratchetwheel in the opposite direction. Similarly the ratchet-wheel 12, located in the casing 14, is provided at the right-hand end of the driving-shaft. This ratchet-wheel12 has ratchetrollers carried in its notches and adapted to roo cooperate with the casing 14 to prevent the ratchet-wheel 12 rotating in the same direction as the ratchet-wheel 1l is permitted to rotate, but permitting said ratchet-wl1eel12 to rotate in the direction opposite to that in which said ratchet-wheel 11 may rotate. The ends of the driving-sleeve 4 are preferably expanded to cooperate with the ratchet-wheels and be of equal diameter therewith, as shown at 2a 2b in Fig. 2.

On one end of the driving-shaft 2 is keyed the pinion 16, which meshes with the gear 17, which has its central portion cut out and is mounted on a friction-hub rigidly fastened upon the car-axle 18. This car-axle supports the car by means of journaled boxes on its outer end in the usual manner. (Not shown, however, in the drawings.) Traction-wheels adapted to run on rails are shown at 19 19 and are shrunk upon the car-axle 18. The friction-hub 20 has cut-away portions in which are mounted friction-blocks 21 21, dac., and each of said blocks is forced out into contact with the inner surface of the gear-Wheel 17 by means of springs 22 22 or equivalent arrangement to produce a spring-pressure of the block against the wheel and adjust the same, as by turning the screw-bolts 23 23 or equivalent apparatus. The friction-blocks 21 21 are held in place by the face-plate 24, held in place by screws 24u 24a or by some equivalent arrangement.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: As shown, the motor-sleeve 4 is in mid-position, and the car is supposed to be at rest. If then the armature 5 and sleeve 4 are rotated in the direction of the curved arrow A, Fig. 1, the motor-shaft, being geared to the wheels, resists. There will consequently be a movement of the sleeve 4 on the helix 3 toward the left until the ratchet-wheel 11 is compressed between the end of the sleeve 4 and friction-collar 9 on the shaft 2. This locks the armature to the driving-shaft 2, and the ratchetwheel 11 being so arranged that it rotates frcelyin that direction power is transmitted from the armature 5 through pinion 16, gear 17, friction-hub 20, axle 18 to traction-wheels 19 19, and the car moves in the direction of the straight arrow C. The ratchet-rollers 15 15 prevent the ratchet-wheel 12 from rotating; but as said ratchet-wheel is mounted loosely on the driving-shaft and is not gripped between the sleeve 4 and friction-collar 10 no resistance is presented by it to rotation of the drivingshaft 2. If, however, the car tends to run ahead of the motor because of a downgrade or because of a slowing down or stopping of lhe motor by the operator, the rotation of driving-shaft 2, running ahead of the motorsleeve 4, withdraws said sleeve from frictional engagement with ratchet-wheel l1 and forces it into engagement with the opposite ratchet-wheel12. This ratchet-wheel12 cannot turn in the direction of arrow A. Consequently when the clutch seizes ratchetwheel 12 a friction-brake is produced and brought into action, and it remains in action as long as driving-shaft 2 tries to rotate faster than sleeve 4. When the speed of the vehicle has been checked down to the speed of the motor, the ratchet-wheel 12 will be released and the motor will resume its driving functions through the other clutch or float between the two, alternately checking and driving, according to the relative preponderance of motive power or car momentum. If the motor is stopped or reversed, of course a sharp braking action is called into action, and to provide against skidding of thewheels I interpose the friction-coupling produced by the adjustable friction of the blocks 21 2l on the inner rims of the gear-wheel. The tension screw-bolts 23 23 are set up, so that the pressure of the springs 22 22 against the blocks 21 21 will be just sufficient to let them slip an instant before the wheel slips on the rail. When the car is running in the opposite direction, the above-described action is the same, except that the driving ratchetwheel becomes the braking ratchet-wheel, and the functions of all parts are similarly reversed.

The principal advantage of my invention lies in the feature of dispensing with all brakes separate from the driving-gear, eX- cept possibly an emergency-brake. Consequently the motorman has only one lever to handle and one thing to think of. It is .also impossible to set the brakes and the motive power in opposition one to the other. If a speed-governor be employed, the vehicle will run along at the same speed up hill and down without attention. In fact in any case there is no possibility of the car running away down hill unless the whole apparatus is wrecked, and when the vehicle is standing still an instant application of brakes is produc'ed by any motion not produced by its own motor. I

Of course various changes could be made in the details of construction illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Other forms of ratchet-gearing and friction clutches might be employed. The helix 3 might be of greater or less length than shown. The form of friction-coupling shown might be modified or located at a different point in the train of gearing or in some cases dispensed with altogether. The pitch of the helix 3 may be varied within wide limits, and this would have an important effect on the operation of the mechanism in regard to the sharpness or abruptness of the braking action. As at present advised I believe the angle of pitch of the helix 3 should be slightly in excess of the angle of friction of the materials composing the side faces of the ratchetwheels and the coperating clutch faces. This excess of pitch should seem to be determined b v the inertia and friction of the sleeve 4 and armature 5. This appears to be necessary to prevent the mechanism being a self-locking one, which would produce an instantaneous stoppage instead of a gradual re- IOO IIO

duction of speed of the car whenever the rotation of the motor fell behind that of the driving shaft. It may be, however, that further investigation might result in the development of a different rule for designing the helix. It is also evident that my invention may be applied to automobile-vehicles of all descriptions and is not limited to electric-motor vehicles or railroad-cars.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wheeled vehicle the combination of the driving-motor, the motor-supporting frame,thetraction-wheels,power-transmitting gearing from the motorto the traction-wheels, friction-clutch mechanism interposed in said gearing, and means whereby said frictionelutch mechanism becomes locked to the motor-supporting frame when the power-transmission gearing begins to run faster than the motor.

2. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination of the drivingmotor, the motorsupporting frame, the traction-wheels, two sets of friction-gearing between the motor and the traction-wheels, alternately operating to transmit motion in either direction, oppositely-acting ratchet-wheels, one ratchet-wheel constituting an intermediate member of each clutch, and members cooperating with the ratchetwheels to form a ratchet-gearing connected to the framework of the motor.

3. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination of the drivingmotor, the motor-supporting frame, the traction-wheels, power-transmitting gearing from the motor to the tractionwheels, friction-clutch mechanism interposed in said gearing, and means whereby said friction-clutch mechanism becomes locked to the motorsupporting frame when the powertransmission gearing begins to run faster than the motor, together with an adjustable friction-coupling interposed in the line of the power-transmission gearing.

4. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination of the driving-motor mounted on a sleeve on the driving-shaft, the driving-shaft, the frame in which it is journaled, the traction-wheels, gearing for transmitting motion from the driving-shaft to the traction-wheels, the helical connection from motor-sleeve to the driv' ing-shaft, friction-collars keyed to the driving-shaft opposite either end of the motorsleeve, a ratchet-wheel interposed between each friction-collar and the corresponding end of the motor-sleeve, and members coperating with the ratchet-wheels to form two sets of oppositely acting ratchet gearing mounted on the frame in which the drivingshaft is journaled.

5. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination of the driving-motor mounted on a sleeve on the driving-shaft, the driving-shaft, the frame in which it is jonrnaled, the traction-wheels, gearing for transmitting motion from the driving-shaft to the axle, the helical connection from motor-sleeve and the driving-shaft, friction-collars keyed to the driving-shaft opposite either end of the motor-sleeve,a ratchetwheel interposed between each friction-collar and the corresponding end of the motorsleeve, and members cooperating with the ratchet-wheels to form two sets of oppositelyacting ratchet-gearing mounted on the frame in which the driving-shaft is journaled, together with the axle on which the tractionwheels are loosely journaled and the frictionhubs keyed, on said axle and engaging the interiors of the traction-wheels.

Signed at New York city this 13th day of March, 1902.

JAMES XV. KELLOGG.

Witnesses:

W. H. PUMPHREY, R. GERBRACH, J r.

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